Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-11-10
A MYSTERIOUS FORCE.
How It Was Exerted and Its Hap.
py Result.
PART ].
THE FORCE EXERTED.

PART ].
THE FORCE EXERTED.
The colar-button fell. There is
nothing mysterious in this statement,
for by reason of the force of gravita-
ton exerted upon it, it could not do
otherwise than fall when unsupported.
But neither Sir Isaac Newton nor any
of the scientists of the present day
have discovered or classed that mys-
FERROUS force which causes collar
button, when it reaches the floor, to
roll away and secrete itself in some
out-of-the-way spot, utterly defying
human skill to penetrate its hiding
place. So, when the collar-buttOn fell
from Clare Beverly's hand and disap-
peared-but we are getting way ahead
of our story, and as the correct way to
tell story is to begin at the "Once-
upon-a-time" point, we will begin
there.
Once upon time in one of the
''shires" of old England lived Sir
Arthur Stanford. Possessed of unlim-
tied estate and fortune. he was conse-
quen,ly possessed of an unlimited
amount of family pride. And by rea-
son of the aforesaid family pride, when
his eldest son Arthur contracted a
marriage beneath his station, Sir
Arthur was induced to cut him off
from the paternal inheritance with the
proverbial shilling. SO young Arthur
turned his back upon his ancestors do
mains. and with his personal effects
under one arm and his young wife
under the other. set his face in the di-
rectiOn in which the Star of Empire
is said to take its way.
Ten years later we might have seen
him settled with his wife and daughter
upon the banks of the Hudson, not far
from the great American metropolis.
He had grown with the country until
his possessions rivaled those of his
fathers. In the midst of his estates he
had erected massive, rambling
structure known as 1.-The Hail. and
modelled somewhat after the paternal
homestead.
Ten years later, we might have seen
him widower, and his daughter, a
beautiful girl just poisoning into
womanhood.
His possessions were larger and his
fortune greater.
Ten years more and we might have
seen n sullen old man with gray
streaked hair. who lived all alone in
the great hall. The daughter had dis
appeared. none knew where.
Some said she had returned to
England. AID others who claimed to
know more said she had run away
with poor. struggling paragraph
writer. employed on one of the New
York Dailies. Be it as it may. the old
man never opened his lips in regard
to her. never spoke her name
When in the course of time he was
gathered to his fathers, and the will
opened and read, it was found that he
had left his entire estate to a nephew,
named Clare Beverly. His daughter
name was not mentioned. and the gos.
sips. who claimed to know the most.
shook their heads wisely and wills.
pered, family pride!''
For five years the old hall remained
tenan,less, save for the presence OF
the family house-Eeeper. and Their
word was received to open up the house
as the new proprietor was about t.
visit his estates.
Clare Beverly was man of abou,
thirty. strong. straight and handsome
with honest blue eyes, and a deep-toneG
voice that could at times command the
tender accents of woman. Small
wonder then that. possessing as he die
these qualifications, together with the
Important addition of n magnificent
fortune. he was received into the mos,
select circles of the Knickerbockel
aristocracy.
At the time of the story we com.
menced To tell in SO headlong a man.
ner, he had been located at the Hal
about five months.
AT that particular point in the story
IN which the title plays an importal n,
part. Clare was dressing for an even
ing party. given at the home of Mrs.
Van Kirke. Mrs Van Krke was 8
''blue-blood' whose family dated bach
to the Colonial days. and as was ex
pressed by one of her favored circle,
lone can always count on meeting
only the most select people at Mrs.
Van Krke'a"